Thin hair advice. Tangles are driving me MAD!

[hannabiss]

So I've been growing for three and half years. Saddly I bleached and dyed so I do have damage. Which I know is contributing to tangles. My hair is so fine and silky when I try to put it up dry itll slip out of any bun or braid. Even when I comb my hair before spraying it wit water it tangles! I feel I need get in the shower and detangle it with conditioner. My question is will it damage my hair to get it wet in the morning to detangle? Like the constant water expansion everyday? I won't shampoo everyday just use a light conditioner to detangle. Is this a better alternative to the contant snapping from detangeling? My routine is sleeping with it in a braid, and washing with a clarifying shampoo once or twice a week. I use a comb no brushes. I cant finger comb. The reason it's important for me to comb when wet is itll dry and lay horribly if I dont comb my hair how it needs to lay.

[lapushka]

Have you tried a spray leave-in?

[lithostoic]

No I actually find water really helpful. If I didn't water rinse, my sebum would never make it to my ends!

[Cg]

It would dry my hair to a dustbowl if I wet the ends with just water.

In winter I dampen my palms and add 2 and only 2 drops of argan oil, rub together, then bun. Not every day, but probably 4 times per week. You could do that at night, but my hair likes it better during the day. No clue why. Something to try, anyway.

[hannabiss]

Have you tried a spray leave-in?

Yes I have and cone serums. I need the hair wet in the morning or else I cant
put it up as itll slip out. When I try to just dampen my hair with a spray bottle tangles come from out of no where. Its like my hairs so fine it grips onto itself. Im not sure its actual tangles or just that fact that when its damp it grips so much when I try to comb it it snaps. Yet when I use a wide toothed comb in the shower I dont have any problems when I get out.

I think I will take a daily shower and just comb a dime size of conditioner in the shower to make sure its detangled when I put it in a bun. Since I need the hair wet to put it up anyways. I think I'll go insane if I hear anymore snapping.

[LadyCelestina]

Just wash it when you need to. My hair also tangles horribly if I put off washing, no matter what I do it. The damage from having to rip out knots is probably worse than damage from washing.

[hannabiss]

Its not that I want to shampoo it alot I just read that getting it wet daily can be rough on the hair. But I suppose ripping it is way worse.

[pailin]

I think the main issue with damage and getting your hair wet is simply that it's more susceptible to damage when wet. So how you handle it when wet makes a big difference - you need extra gentleness.
For me, I do find my hair feels like it tangles much more when wet. I don't think they're necessarily real tangles, in a sense; my hair just sticks to itself more when wet (similarly to what you notice with it being easier to bun when wet- it's just less slippery). It's much easier for me to detangle my hair once it's dry.

[Anje]

Have you looked at protein-moisture balance in the damaged parts of your hair (where I assume it's tangling most)? Quite possibly you'll do best with a bit more of both, but if one gets too far ahead of the other, hair tends to feel really weird and dry and tangly. (Yes, over-moisturized hair can feel dry in a soft, wimpy sort of way.) How about oils -- any luck with those?

I'm guessing that only the bottom of your hair is tangling badly, since the top is so slippery. (Though I've got fine, slippery hair that tangles pretty readily, at least when it's long enough to do so.) Sometimes it's easy to just wet your ends down in the sink, if it's just the lower portion and you don't want to deal with wet hair for a couple hours. I've been known to condition just the end of a braid between washes when it was feeling a bit rough, and it works great. :D

[lapushka]

Honestly? My hair is tangled up pretty much during the week, as it only gets detangled once a week, pre- & immediately after a wash. I finger detangle a few strands during the week, but the rest stays in its "(tangled) state". I don't detangle prior to putting it up, and it helps with keeping a style as well.

[LadyCelestina]

Honestly? My hair is tangled up pretty much during the week, as it only gets detangled once a week, pre- & immediately after a wash. I finger detangle a few strands during the week, but the rest stays in its "(tangled) state". I don't detangle prior to putting it up, and it helps with keeping a style as well.

But after a week, you can get it detangled :lol: whereas, for example for me, a week without detangling in any way means having to get the :scissors:

[vega]

My hair was like that until I discovered garnier hair serum comb glides through.you are doing a lot of damage by the sounds of it ,try not to condition your hair everyday your shredding your length, also recommending a deep treatment once a week

[vega]

My hair was like that until I discovered garnier hair serum comb glides through.you are doing a lot of damage by the sounds of it ,try not to condition your hair everyday your shredding your length, also recommending a deep treatment once a week
Also combs aren't for everyone some people have better success with brushes ,if you are hearing constant snapping you should stop that method

[lapushka]

But after a week, you can get it detangled :lol: whereas, for example for me, a week without detangling in any way means having to get the :scissors:

Yeah, because I finger detangle and get the bigger chunks separated, so bigger knots can't form. Finger detangling = awesome for that.

[lapushka]

Also combs aren't for everyone some people have better success with brushes ,if you are hearing constant snapping you should stop that method

I do hear snapping at the end of the week when I weekly detangle, with the comb first, but that's because the loose sheds are in there. Once they're out that doesn't happen anymore.

Might there be a lot of shedding in there?

[Dark40]

Have you tried, "Horse Mane N' Tail," detangling spray? That really get out the tangles or knots!

[patchoulilove]

Another suggestion: Kinky Curly Knot Today. This product is a leave in conditioner with slippery elm. I use it as a detangler and it has served as my holy grail. I use it between washes on dry hair. My method is to apply a pea size or smaller amount to my palm, rub my palms together and apply water into my hands. Next I smooth the product with wet hands all along my length. Keep applying water until you get a consistency of slip you like. Your hair should be pulled in front for ease of application. If your hair is thicker than mine, you may need to apply more product. Comb your hair from the ears down to thoroughly detangle. With the correct ratio of water to product, the slippery elm really creates a great lubricant for the comb to glide gently through snarles and tangles. It dries soft with no obvious product look. It provides no hold as it is not a gel.

I hope this helps. The KCKT leave-in is appropriate for those who choose/wish to abstain from silicones and proteins. I would imagine it can pair well with other products without issue.

:blossom:
patchoulilove

[lapushka]

Or make your own leave-in mist. Get a nice runny conditioner, put a squirt in with some distilled water (about 50 ml, so half a 100ml tiny spray bottle). Then you can add a squirt of glycerine if you like, some EOs, a little bit of oil, but that's all to preference. Just conditioner/water should be enough, basically. Works like a charm. And in a pinch, that's what I did.

I no longer mist my hair when I get up, but when it was around BSL, I used to.

[hannabiss]

Went to Sallys yeaterday and got a tangle teeser type brush I think ill try using that when I mist in the morning.

[mizukitty]

Just wash it when you need to. My hair also tangles horribly if I put off washing, no matter what I do it. The damage from having to rip out knots is probably worse than damage from washing.

Seconding this. By day about 4 of not washing my length, it gets tangly and dry. No amount of water, oil, leave in or anything else fixes it until I just wash it. I have no idea what the cause is, but seeing how nothing works, it might be product build up.

[Annalouise]

Yes I have and cone serums. I need the hair wet in the morning or else I cant
put it up as itll slip out. When I try to just dampen my hair with a spray bottle tangles come from out of no where. Its like my hairs so fine it grips onto itself. Im not sure its actual tangles or just that fact that when its damp it grips so much when I try to comb it it snaps. Yet when I use a wide toothed comb in the shower I dont have any problems when I get out.

I think I will take a daily shower and just comb a dime size of conditioner in the shower to make sure its detangled when I put it in a bun. Since I need the hair wet to put it up anyways. I think I'll go insane if I hear anymore snapping.

I have fine hair but its curlier than yours. I don't usually wet my hair between washes for this reason you cited.
There is nothing wrong with showering and conditioning your hair daily. In fact, there are long hairs (knee and beyond) who do this daily. (Cinnamonhair comes to mind). My hair is also tangle prone, a lot of fine hair is. You need to do what you need to do to keep your hair organized so that it doesn't get big tangles and then like LadyCelestina said... :scissors:
There is a method of detangling done by curly hair people called "wet detangling" wherein they don't ever detangle their hair dry.
They use a lubricant like conditioner or oil to pull the clumps apart. Without a lubricant its difficult to pull the hairs apart and water is not a lubricant by the way. Like you noted, spraying water on fine hair makes it cement together.:D